allison



(2&0 ModeL) 3 shee'ts shees 1. 0. W. ALLISON. Cigarette Machine. I

. Patented Sept. 7,1880.

Witnesses:

% Jig/enrol:

cigarette-machine.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

OSCAR w. ALLISON, or noonnsrn'a, NEW-YORK.

CIGARETTE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 2313947, dated September 7, 1880. Application filed April 22, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OSCAR. W. ALLISON, of Rochester, Monroe county, New York, have, invented certain Improvements 'in Cigarette- Machines, of'whieh the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the paper-folder. Fig. 4 is an end view of the same. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the tobacco-rodforming wheel and its attachments. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the formingwheel. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the eccentric for operating sliding tobacco-carriers. Fig. Sis a vertical section through the rod-forming wheel on theline mm, Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a section through therim of saidwheel on the line 3 3 Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a section through the rim of said wheel and the trimming-wheel on the line 0 0, Fig. 5. Fig. 11 is a section on the line zz, Fig. 5. Fig. 12 is an end view of the machine, showing the knife and endless belt provided with hoppers. Fig. 13 represents the knives for cutting the cigarette-tube.

My invention relates to an improved cigar ette-machine in which the tobacco is fed onto a revolving rod-forming wheel provided with suitable guiding-and compressing attachments, whereby the tobacco is formed into a continuous compacted rod, about which an endless web of paper is folded by suitable mechanism, and the continuous cigarette thus formed is fed forward hycarrying-rolls and delivered to an automatic dividing-knife, by which it is severed into suitable lengths for cigarettes; and my invention consists" in the rodfforming wheel and attachments, and in the combination of the various devices above specified, and in the mechanical details of the apparatus, as hereinafter more fully described.

My improved cigarette-machine is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which A is a supporting-table; B, the feed-board; O, the rod-forming wheel; D D and E E, the grooved carrying-rolls; F F, the discharge-rolls, and G the knife. Q represents a roll of paper, and r a pasting-wheel.

Power is applied to the pulley J, Fig. 1, and its motion is transmitted to the various moving parts.

center of the groove e.

I i In the operation of the machine tobacco is fed by hand from the feed-board on to the form-" ing-wheel, by the operation of which and its attachments the tobacco is-formed into a continuous rod, about which a web of paper previously gummed on one edge is folded by the folder (1., after which the cigarette enters and is fed onward by the carrying-rolls passing through the drier It, and being finally delivered from the moisture by the last pair of rolls to the dividing-knife G. A continuouscigarette is thus formed at a high rate of speed, which is severed into cigarettes of any desired length by the automatic operation of the knife.

The feed-board B receives the tobacco which is to be fed through the machine. It maybe slightly inclined to facilitate the feeding operation, and the tobacco is placed on it in con venieni; quantities and fed regularly by hand into the hopper."

The wheel 0 is supported by suitable standards b b rising from the table A. It is provided with a rim, which projects laterally on one side ofthe spokes. The rimis provided with a groove, 6, about its-circumference,which groove has a semicireularbottom, and is made of the size of the tobacco-rod of which the cigarette is to be formed.

On each side of the rod-forming groove 0 are narrower grooves ff, Figs. 9, 10, and 11 in which are fitted the guard-plates g and 9', (see Fig. 1,) the latter being attached to the feed board B.

Inside of the wheel is placed the eccentric L, which is held stationary by the rod h, at-

tached to one of the wheel-supporting stand- I ards b b, or by any other convenient arrangement. The wheel-hub M may be fitted toturn within the eccentric, in which case it also serves to support it.

0n the outside of the eccentric is fitted aring, N, which revolves with the wheel. To

the ring N are attached a number of radial sliding rods,z t i, which pass through holes drilled through the rim of the wheel in the The rods i i are round and reduced to a fine point at their outer ends. They perform the ofiice of feeding the tobacco,

but are withdrawn from it at the lower side of,

the forming-wheel, so that the tobacco-rod is continuous and without break. As the wheel revolves these rods draw the ring N with it,

progresses through the guide.

, pressor and the wheel, it is gradually further compressed and condensed.

i'romthere onward, so that the tobacco is livcred therefrom at the bottom of the wheel and they are by it compelled to slide in and out through the rim. The rods project fronr the rim of the wheel a short distance on the upper side of it, but on its lower side they are drawn in by the eccentric, so that their points, are entirely concealedwithih the bottom of the groove 0.

When the wheel revolves in the direction represented by the arrows in the drawings, the tobacco, being fed from the feed-boardby hand onto the wheel, is forced forward .by the radial sliding rods '5 i into the guidej, Figs.5 and 8. The guide j is composed of a curved strip of metal, the edges 'of which are fitted into the grooves ff on the rim of the wheel. (See Fig. 9.) The inner surface of the guidej is not concentric with the wheel, but it is so placed with reference thereto that the spacebetwecn the two is greatest at the point where the tobacco enters the guide, and diminishes gradually gatheredtogcther and packed as it The guide is supported in the proper relation .With the forming-wheel by the vertical standards k, which arise from the table A, and also carry the trimming-wheel O and the compressor I. The trimming-wheel O is shown in relation to the wheel and groove in the section, Fig. 16'. It consists of a small wheel of such thickness as to j ust'fit within the groove 0, and having a semicircular groove ahoutitsperiphcry. Its oflic'c is to compress and condense the stream of tobacco delivered to it from the guide j by the sliding rods 6 i, and also to cut off any excess of tobacco, for which purpose its edges are made sharp and are preferably hardened.

The tobacco, after passing the trimming} wheel .0, is now subjected to the action of the compressor P, which isacurved bar of a width to fit closely within the groove 0, and having a semicircular channel on its upper surface. The compressor 1 is supported by suitable braces extending inward from the standards, K K, and it reaches from immediately below the trimming-wheel O. on the side of the wheel 0, to a point a short distance beyond the bottom thereof. It is so placed as tobc closer to the wheel 0 at its lower point than it is near the trimming-wheel, so that as the tobacco passes through the groove 6, between the com- This operation is facilitated by the factthat as the tobacco passes through the compressor the rods i i z'arc being gradually withdrawn from it and concealed within the wheel 0, so that theforcc necessary to crowd the material through is necessarily derived from those portions thereof which are coming into the compressor from behind under the action of the sliding rods. Theresult is that the stream of tobacco is packed and condensed in the compressor, so that it'is desuitable shape and size to form cigarettes "Whe'n wrapped with paper.

The rod of tobacco would remain in the groove 0 and be carried around the wheel if not removed therefrom. To effect this operation I provide a scraper, Z, Figs. 5 and 8, which is a bent metallic bar attached in any convenient way to any part of the machine which will afford it support, and which extends into the groove e, and terminates near the end of the compressor in a sharp edge. The point of the scraper is fitted to the groove on its upper side, and its lower side is hollowed or shaped to fit the rod of tobacco passing heneath it,

By the operation of the scraper the tobaccorod is disengaged from the groove 0 and caused to pass forward on the compressor, from which it is delivered to the table m, which supports the paper-folder a. From the paper-folder the cigarette-rod, wrapped in paper from the endless web of paper on the roll Q, passes between the carrying-rolls D D and E E, and thence through the drier R to the dischargerolls F F. These rolls are preferably faced with soft rubber, and they have semicircular grooves work'edjn their faces of a size corresponding with that of the cigarette-rod. I prefer also to place the-axes of one set of rolls, D D, at right angles with thcothcr set, E E, as by this arrangement any creases or folds in the paper envelope caused by the first set of rolls are pressed out by the second set.

The drier R consists of a double cylinder, into which steam is admitted when the machine is in operation for the purpose of drying the cigarette-rod.

The course of the cigarette-rod through the machine. is indicated by dotted lines in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2.

steam for the drier. Where steam cannot be obtained the drier may consist of a metallic plate or trough, heated by a-lire in any convenient manner.

The operation of covering the tobacco-rod, after it has been formed by the formingwhecl G, with 'an envelope of paper is performed in the following manner:

An endless wcb. of paper, Q, Figs. 1 and 2, is supported by brackets attached to the table A and from it the paper is led over the rollers n n, and thence to the paper-folder a, as indicated by the. dotted lines in Fig. 2. The roller 11. should be located above the folder, in order to give the paper a tendency to fold into a tube. A pasting-roll, r, dips into the trough s, which contains paste, and in revolving applies the paste or gum to one edge of the endless web of paper as it passes over the roller n.

The paper-folder is composed of two hollow. inclined wings of suitable shape interiorly to form the endless web of paper into a tube. It is shown in planview in Fig. 3 and in front elevation in Fig. 4, and it is located in in the form of a compacted straight rod of the proper position to fold the paper about the a, Fig. 2, represents a pipe for supplying 5. justment of the wings to and from each other;

but they should not be so placed as to cause any friction on the paper.- .The wings operate merely to fold the paper about the formed rod of tobacco,'in' a manner similar to thatin which the wings or fingers in paper-bag machines operate to fold the paper about the former-bar in such machines. The adhesion of the pasted edge of the paper to the outer edge is secured by a spring-finger, t, Figs. 2 and 3, bearing lightly on the cigarette-rod after it has left the folder a, in the manner of producing this result in paper-bag machines.

The grooved rollers D D and E E are so shaped as to cause as little pressure as possi ble on the pasted edge, to prevent the paste from being squeezed out from between the fold of the paper. From the carrying-rolls D D, on the shaft of one of which the driving-pulley J is placed, power is transmitted to the rod-forming wheel 0 anduthe' remaining rolls by any convenient system of gearing, as illustrated in the drawings at au 11.", Fig. 1.

After leaving the feed-rolls F F, the cigarette passes over the stationary knife G, on which it is severed into suitable lcngthsfor smoking by the rotary knife G. The rotary knife G is attached to a shaft, '0, Fig. l, which is driven from any convenient moving part of the machine at a suitable speed with reference to the feed-rolls to divide the cigarette into the. desired length. The edges of the knives G G are preferably notched and serrated at the point where the cigarette passes between them, as shown in Fig. 13. The finished cigarettes are received, as they drop from the knives G G, in thehoppers w w w on the endless belt T. The belt T runs over pulley U on the shaft 3 which is driven from the feed-rolls F F by bevel-gearin g. The hoppers w w are not closed on .the side next the feed-rolls, and by proportioning the speed of the belt T to that of the feed-rolls the cigarettes may be divided into bunches of any ble feedinggate placed between the guardplates immediately before the entrance into the guide j. This gate is represented at h, Figs. 5 and S, and consists of a plate arranged to slide radially to and from the forming-wheel. The feed-board B may have a shaking mo tion given to it by an eccentric or cam for the purpose of facilitating the feeding operation.

Any excess of tobacco trimmed off by the wheel 0 is received into any suitable receptacle, and from thence returned to the feedboard.

I claim- 1. In a cigarette-machine, the tobacco-rodforming wheel 0, having peripheralv groove 0 and sliding rodsz' t, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the forming-wheel 0, having groove e and sliding rodsz' i, the trimming-wheel O, substantially asdcscribed.

3. The combination of the forming-wheel'O,

having groove e and rods 12 z, with the feedboard B, substantially as described.

4'. The combination of the forming-wheel 0,- having groove 6 and sliding rods '5 6,. feedboard B and adjustable gate 11., substantially as described.

5. The forming-wheel 0, having peripheral groove and feedingrods, with the guide j and trimming-wheel O, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the grooved rod-form ing wheel 0, having sliding rodsii,compressor P, and scraper l, substantially as described. 4

7. The combination of the grooved rod-form,- ing wheel 0, having sliding rods 01 z, and the compressor P, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the grooved rod-formin g wheel 0, having sliding rods '5 i, feed-board B, guide j, trimming-wheel O, compressor P, and scraper I, substantially as and for the pu'rposes set forth.

9. The combination, in a cigarette-machine, of the grooved rod-forming wheel 0, having sliding feeding-rods i i, gnidej, compressor P and scraper l, and the paper-folder a,--substantially as described.

10. The combination of the rod -forming wheel 0, having suitable feeding'and cornpressing attachments, the paper-folder a, and carrying-roll'sD D, substantially as described.

11. The combination of the rod forming wheel 0, having suitable feeding and compressing attaehments, paper-folder a, carrying-rolls D D, and drier It, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination of the revolving form-i ing-wheel 0, having sliding rods z i, and the guide j, substantially as described.

13. In combination with a cigarette-machine having rod-forming wheel 0, provided with sliding feeding-rods i i, compressor P, and scraper l, paper-folder a, carrying-rollers and dividing knife, the automatically-operating countinghoppers w w, substantially as described.

14. In combination with the rod-forming wheel 0, having sliding feeding-rods; 5, compressor P, and scraper l, the paper-folder. a and pasting-linger t, substantially as described.

OSCAR W. ALLISON.

Witnesses r GEO. B. SELDEN, W. W, COPELAND. 

